Cramping

[birthjunkie27]

Is anyone else feeling a lot of menstrual like cramping? I don't recall having this with either of my first two (until early labor), so it's freaking me out a little bit. Last night in bed I actually had to "breathe" through a couple of them...It starts out way low, then radiates down my legs and around to my lower back. I'm only 30 weeks (as of tomorrow). I've had enough Braxton Hicks to know that these do NOT feel like Braxton Hicks. They were going on and off all night, but I didn't time them or anything...didn't want to jump to conclusions. And they never got any worse. Now that I'm up and about for the day they are more managable, and less frequent.

I don't want to be bombarded with "Call your midwife or Dr." because I don't want to make a fuss out of what is probably nothing. My instincts are telling me that it's nothing. Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this.

Cross posted in Nov/Dec clubs.

[raspberryswirl]

I am 28 weeks pg and I swear last week there were 5 nights in a row in the evening where I had menstrual-like cramping for about 5-10 minutes each night. It didn't radiate to anywhere and I didn't have to breath thru them but they really hurt! I didn't call my doc's office b/c I figured they'd just give me the "it's your utereus stretching" answer.

[Geofizz]

What did you do in the afternoon and evening before it started? Anything unusual? Can you check your own cervix to see if there are any changes?

[StarCat]

I've been out of work for 2 weeks now from this. It really doesn't seem to matter though, because it keeps happening, even with me not working. Sometimes I can time them. I seem to get "runs" like for an hour or 2 I will cramp every 3-4 minutes and then it stops. My cervix isn't changing,though, so for me I am just being told to take it easy. It sucks because even though I know I am not changing (my cervix) I still know that this cramping isn't normal. If I wasn't pg. I would lay down with a hotwater bottle and take ibuprofen! My midwife said that it could be due to my pregnancies being fairly close together, sometimes that can cause the body to put out a lot more hormones (relaxin, etc) causing additional problems with pain.

I hate being a pain and calling my midwife for every little thing, too, but you need to know if there is any cervical change. Just try to call during office hours and maybe stop in for a check, that way you aren't bothering them, they are already at work.

Hope you don't have to join us bedrest/light activity girls!

[birthjunkie27]

Thanks for the replies. No unusual activity or anything yesterday evening. It just came from out of no where. I'm feeling better today. Just sort of "heavy" down low, if that makes sense. I don't know how to check myself for any cervical changes. I have a Dr. appt on Tuesday and I'll mention what's been going on. Of course if it keeps happening I'll call sooner.

I'm just so scared of going into labor early. Dd was born at 36 weeks. Ds was born at 38 weeks so I'm not sure what to expect. I have to hang in there until at least 37 weeks if I want to homebirth.

I can't even imagine being on bedrest. I'm basically the sole caregiver of our 2 kids...dh works long hours. He leaves the house at 5am and doesn't get home till 8pm, 5 days a week. So the kids see him for *maybe* an hour a day.

[starparticle]

I'm in this boat too...I'll go stretches where I'm getting BH & cramping every 3-4 minutes for a couple of hours. A good bath and H20 seems to make them calm down a little. I've decided to cut back on my walking regimine, I think it's not helping things.

I'm just hoping that it means I'll get to go at 37 weeks :thumb

rachel

[littleteapot]

Yup. Normal BH contractions for me... they're always painful. More after exercising, after sex, or housework and stuff like that. Sometimes they're even "regular".
I'm dilated to about 1 and about 25-50% effaced, but not worried. ;) That's not abnormal. With my daughter I dilated and effaced, she dropped and engaged at 32 weeks (I went to 41)! Almost there with this one, so who knows!

[amelissam]

Yup, I've had the same thing happen quite a few times, too, and I'm about 26 wks. It is a lot more painful than the BH I had with my other pregnancies, and it lasts a lot longer. Same thing- starts low and radiates all down there. Mine almost always happens at night, but a few times it has happened during the day. I just assume it's BH, just different this time around.

[camprunner]

This has happened to me twice now!

[spiralmg]

I'm at 30 weeks too, and have had some similar cramping, probably not as bad as yours. But am paying close attention because DS was also born at 36 weeks and I want desperately to just get to 37 weeks. Today I took a long walk to go meet my husband and my uterus was hard almost the whole time, no matter how much I slowed down. It kind of worried me...But I do notice that just slowing myself down seems to help. A few weeks ago I was getting a lot of cramping but since I started taking it easier (not picking up heavy grocery bags, pushing heavy carts, or doing repeat bend-overs to put together furniture etc.), it's been a lot better.

[ljpmom]

I have been having the menstrual like cramps too, and tons of braxton hicks. I don't remember the cramps with pregnancy #1, and braxton hicks seem alot stronger too. I just figured it was because it was my 2nd baby? I also notice it more on the days I work and am more active.

[Spark]

I've gone full term with my other two kids AND with both of them right around 30 weeks I start with patterned ctx. I do hypnosis for childbirth so pain isn't an issue for me, and yet i do have to work my hypno with them. So far this pregnancy they've been as close at 3 mins apart (from 5 down to 3 over a 3 hour period). They just get more and more frequent as I get closer to delivery yet don't seem to cause any cervical changes. (highly recommend learning to do you own cervical inspections if you experience frequent ctx -- no time like the present!) By the time labor begins I'm not usually sure it's labor, because I'll feel like i've been laboring the entire last month! :LOL

With a history of earlier deliveries, i'd pay special attention though. Half a glass of wine and/or warm bath and bed sounds like a really good idea.

[StarCat]

It's funny.. I can check other people's cervix's but not my own. (I have to do it for my job...I don't run around shoving my hand up people's vagina's for fun!! :) ) Any tips on how to best do you own exam?? Maybe I'm just not ina good position when i do it?